The Battle
by Rogue11
Summary: A story about Heero's training set soon after Episode Zero (reposted)


This story is based on the characters and situations created for the Gundam Wing Universe. It is not intended for sale, only for the enjoyment of its author, and its readers; and as a tribute to the imagination that it takes to build such a universe.

Gundam Wing and its characters is a trademark of Bandai and Sotsu Agency Sunrise. 

: Indicates thoughts:

* * *

The Battle  
AC 190, Colony X18999  


Inside the cockpit of a mobile suit simulator Heero closed his eyes and tried to relax while he waited for one of Dr J's aids to attach a number of sensors to his head  


__

Earlier that day in Dr J's office:

Dr J was talking to Dekim Barton via the video screen on his computer. Barton was checking up on the progress in the development of the new Mobile Suit J. was working on. And he was also checking up on the suit's future pilot.   
"I have been studying the boy's latest simulated training missions and don't see the improvement I had been expecting. Have you installed the L.A.E system into his simulator?"  
He was referring to a system enhancement developed by Barton's technicians. They called it the L.A.E system, L.A.E. standing for Live Action Experience. It sounded harmless enough.  
What the system did was feeding real live battle sensations, like pain, directly into the pilot's brain.   
"I didn't think it was really necessary." Dr J replied in his usual calm manner "You got to admit, the boy's skills are improving."  
"Not fast enough" Barton replied harsh, displeased that the scientist had chosen to ignore his order once again.  
"He is still a child." Dr J defended his pupil. "He is training hard up to 12 hours a day and he is doing his best to satisfy you. You are expecting too much of him."  
"He stopped being a child when he agreed to become a Gundam pilot. I expect nothing less than perfection from him. The L.A.E. will help him to attain this perfection faster. – Dr. J do you know why he is still making the same mistakes he made a week ago? Because there are no consequences to the mistakes he makes. In real live soldiers are getting hurt and die for their mistakes. The faster the boy learns this lesson the better. Some day he is going to be thankful for this tough training, because it will save his live. - I expect you to use the L.A.E. system starting today." The screen went black as Barton terminated the connection. Dr J sighed.  
He stepped out of his office.  
"Fritz" he called out to one of the mechanics working on a mobile suit in the main hangar. "Install the L.A.E. System in Heero's simulator"  
"But Doctor"  
"Just go and do it. – Where is the boy anyhow?"  
"Right over here."  
Heero was sitting on top of a crate near the hangar doors, his laptop computer on his knees. Dr J walked over to him.  
"You have been listening in on my conversation?!"  
The boy just shrugged. Odin had always told him that the first rule of survival was to never let you guard down, to keep a close eye on your enemies and an even closer eye on your friends.  
When Dr J saw that the boy was looking at the blueprints for his new mobile suit he frowned underneath his thick glasses.   
"You have also hacked into our own security system?!"  
"It was not that secure, really." Heero replied calmly." So this is going to be my Mobile Suit?"  
"Yes." Dr J. confirmed "We will be using Gundanium alloy for its armor. It will be stronger than any suit the Federation has ever built."  
"I'll use it to fight the Federation some day?"  
"Yes, but you still have a long way to go before you can use a Mobile Suit in real battle."  
"I know." Heero closed his computer and slipped from the crate. "But I'll get there."  
He started walking away, then stopped and without even turning back to the doctor said:  
"And don't worry about the L.A.E. I can handle it."  
Dr J. watched him as he left the hangar. _That boyHe never stops to surprise me.  
_

Back in the simulator cockpit:

Fritz attached the last sensor to the boy, then turned to leave the cockpit.  
"Are you ready?"  
Heero nodded silently, afraid that his voice would betray him and give away how nervous he really was. But he wasn't able to fool the mechanic.  
"Relax Heero! - You are breaking the controls."  
The boy realized that his fists were clenched around the control sticks so tightly, his knuckles had turned white. He loosened his grip but he couldn't stop his heart from beating wildly.  
The cockpit hatch closed and the view screen flickered to life.  
Leo suits - six of them. The Leo's main weapon was a Beam rifle. Not as powerful as the shell firing Dobergun it could still do a lot of damage. Using the element of surprise, Heero came out of his cover all guns firing. He managed to take out one of the Leos before they could react to his attack. The first round went to him, but they were still five against one. He managed to dodge a few shots before he got hit.   
He moaned. _Damn, I gotta remember the L.A.E._  
Pushing forward slowly he kept firing, taking out another suit and another. But his luck run out when a particle beam hit his suit's right arm, severing it just below the elbow. He pressed his teeth into his lower lip till he felt the taste of blood. It took all his strength of mind not to scream.  
_I'm not finished yet._   
With his beamsaber in his left hand Heero dashed toward the nearest Leo, ready for a close up fight. His enemy switched to its beamsaber as well. The Leo having the advantage of being able to use its right arm slashed mercilessly at Heero's mobile suit. The boy could do little more than parry the blows.   
He glanced at one of the lit-up buttons on the control console.   
_If you ever need to stop a simulation, just press this button here. It will turn of the main computer._  
He forced his look back to the view screen, but a voice in him told him:  
_Press the damn button. Just do it and it will be over.   
_For a moment he considered it, and it seemed tempting, but then he shook his head. "I'm not going to surrender" he pressed through his teeth.

****

"Doctor J, do you want me to stop this?" Fritz reached already for the control switch that turned of the simulator, but the scientist stopped him with a short, but firm:  
"No."  
"What? You can see yourself he can't win the battle anymore. Why prolong this any further?"  
" He can stop the simulation any time he wants to do so." J reminded his assistant.  
"But he is too damn stubborn to do it."  
"I know." J sighed. "But its his decision to make, not ours."

****

In desperate determination Heero took a step back and swung his saber. With whatever power was left in his battered suit he struck at the Leo, severing its head from the torso in one blow.   
Breathing heavily he turned toward the remaining two enemy suits only to see them fire their beam rifles at him, almost simultaneously. And he knew this one was going to hurta lot. And even though he braced himself, the pain was paralyzing. He wished that he would loose consciousness, but he knew it wasn't going to happen. Somehow the system could precisely predict how much pain he could take without blacking out. The view screen went dark. If this battle had been real he would be dead now. Would that be bad or good? He wasn't sure. But before he got a chance to think about it the screen came back to life. Once the new battle started he didn't have time to think anymore, only to act and react. The objective was the same, but the scenario was new. Looking at his radar screen he counted five, no six enemy suits. Four of them were Leo's, designed for ground battle. The other two, Aries suits, had flight capability and were more dangerous. He would have to take them out first. He selected the first target, aimed, fired, and missed. Dobergun shells hit his suit. He flinched, pressed his teeth together and tried to ignore the pain. He could feel the rush of adrenaline in his veins. But he also could feel anger. He was angry with Odin for dying on him and leaving him on his own, angry with Dekim Barton for pushing him so hard, and most of all angry at himself for not being able to do what was expected of him.  
He took this anger and directed it at his enemies as he aimed again for one of the Aries suits. But all of a sudden he remembered some advice Odin had given him long ago. It was almost like he could hear Odin's voice telling him to rethink his tactics.  
_If you ever are faced with multiple enemies it makes sense to take out their leader first. _

That will cause confusion in the ranks. You might be surprised how helpless soldiers can be once they loose their brain.  
Right! The leader! Where was the leader?  
Once he had figured out which one was the leading suit Heero turned away from the Aries and went for that Leo. The enemy, realizing what he was up to, started attacking from 3 sides, leaving him only one way to move. Why would they let him retreat at all?  
He frowned.  
And then there was Odin again, almost like he was sitting right next to him in the cockpit, giving his advice.  
_Always keep control over the situation. The moment you let somebody else dictate your actions you become their pawn. Don't ever let that happen and you will be just fine._  
Right! Don't loose control over the situation, kill the leader and cause as much confusion as possible.  
_Roger Odin, I got it_. Heero, smiling ever so slightly, tightened his grip around the controls. **Now** he was ready. As his fighting spirit took over, his mind was focused on only one thing. Winning! He blocked out everything else, even the pain, because it became meaningless at the moment.  
He took out the Leo to his left before the enemy was able to corner him, then went for the leader again. 

****

Three scenarios later Dr J and his assistant watched the change in the boy's fighting style with a mixture of amazement and surprise.  
"That little brat did it again. He finished them off faster than he has ever before."  
"That he did." The pride in Dr J's voice was hard to miss. "Give him a 10 minute rest then have him fight a level 4 scenario."  
"Level 4? But Doctor, so far he has never fought anything higher than level 2."  
"I know. We can always go back to level 3 if he can't handle it. But something tells me we won't need to."  
Fritz shrugged. "If you say so doctor."  
As Dr J was about to leave he turned once more to the mechanic." Did you clean up his computer's hard drive like I asked you to?"  
Fritz nodded a smirk on his face. "Found his backup too. After teaching him how to hack into computer systems we shouldn't really be surprised that he uses that skill."  
"No, I guess we shouldn't" 

****

When the simulation was finally over, he felt too exhausted to climb out of the cockpit. Too exhausted to think even. He just removed the sensors, unbuckled the safety harness and curled up in the large pilot seat. As he was falling asleep he could hear the cockpit hatch opening, the familiar sound of Dr J's footsteps coming closer, then leaving again. A few moments later the Dr. came back to drape a blanket over the small boy in the large pilot seat. But by then the boy had already drifted off to a kinder, gentler place. A place where he could find at least temporarily refuge from reality. A place where he wasn't forced to hurt or kill anybody and nobody was hurting him.

When they woke him some five hours later, for yet another grueling day of training, he was hungry and could feel every bone in his body ache. But he knew better than to complain. Soldiers don't complain, soldiers receive orders, soldiers don't question their orders, they just execute them. He was a soldier. But he was also a human being, wasn't he? Or did he give up the right of calling himself human when he started to take lives?

* * *

Okay, that's it. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.


End file.
